Chaiya

Chaiya (ไชยา) is a town of 5,500 people on the Malay Peninsula, below the Kra Isthmus, on the Central Gulf Coast of Southern Thailand. It offers an interesting history, temples and handicrafts, and is worth visiting if you're touring Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat provinces.

Understand
Chaiya was one of the principal trading cities of the Srivijaya Empire between the 8th and 13th centuries, a stop on the Maritime Silk Road. Archaeologists believe that Indian traders from Madras visited the town as far back as the 5th century. Parts of the town's history remain obscure, but historians believe it to have been the capital of the empire. A number of archaeological sites in Chaiya have uncovered artifacts supporting this belief.

The town's role in maritime trade has long ago ceased and though archaeologists continue to unearth more and more artifacts testifying to its earlier culture, the town has mostly been forgotten. The Wat Phra Mahathat temple, found in Chaiya, is said to be the last well-preserved example of the Srivijaya Empire. It is one of the most venerated temples in Thailand. Other temples depicting the Srivijaya Empire architecture are the Wat Kaeo and Wat Suan Mok temples, also found in Chaiya.

By bus

 * From Surat Thani, either by minivan 80 bhats south of Talad Kaset 2 (Soi Talat Mai 31 and Soi Thattong 5; hourly from 8.30am until 5.30pm), either by songthaew 50 bhats north of Talad Kaset 1 (Soi Talat mai 10 and Thamma Bucha Rd.). (Jan 2024)

By train
Chaiya is accessible by rail via the Bangkok-South Thailand line.

By car
Drive from Chumphon on Hwy 41.

By plane
The nearest airport is about 45 minutes away, in Phunphin district, Surat Thani.



Go next
The quiet fishing village of Ban Pu Ma Riang lies east of Chaiya and is popular for its hand-woven silk.